Blind spots behind our cars reportedly take the lives of 228 people on average every year in back-over accidents, and injure another 17,000. Well, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration intends to kick this problem to the curb. Beginning in January 2015 -- a date that was recently extended from its original deadline of next year -- automakers will be required to make rearview cameras standard equipment in all new vehicles.
But eyes in the back of our cars are just the beginning. Get ready for side cameras that activate automatically with a flip of the turn signal, such as the LaneWatch system from Honda. And feast your eyes on Nissan’s (OTCMKTS:NSANY) Around View Monitor, offering a virtual, 360-degree scene above the car. Currently ranging in sticker price from about $1,000 to $2500, with time and higher demand these systems will fast become cheaper and more widely accessible.